Sleeping Elizabeth
by lovelynat08
Summary: This is another high school piece. Spike is the rebel and Buffy the nice girl everyone loves. When they are thrown together for a project sparks fly but neither realize they've met before. My first fanfic.
1. Chapter 1

"Please Mommy! Pleeeease!" a young boy whined from his bed. William Pratt was a 6 year old boy and had already been confined to a hospital bed for a week. After being admitted for pneumonia he was sentenced to bed rest and made to stay at the hospital to be monitored.

"Honey, I already told you. The doctors said that if you were good and got a full night's rest tonight, we could go home tomorrow. Don't you want to go home?" his mother questioned. Honestly, it broke Anne's heart to see her young strong son chained to a hospital bed and desperately wanted to give into his every whim to try and make it better but knew that he only needed this one night then he could go home.

"Yesssss…but I just want to get out of bed for ONE minute! Mom, I promise I will stand up for only one minute then I will get back in bed. I'm bored and my legs hurt!" William pleaded with his mother. He had been stuck in bed for so long and knew that if he could just stand for awhile he would feel better. Plus he thought if he could get his mom to give into this one request he could stretch out his time.

Anne thought it over. She knew that her son wanted out of bed for more than one minute but she was trying to think of a way to get him out of bed without him getting too excited and over-exerting himself. She finally landed on an idea, "how about we take one walk around the floor? You have to hold my hand the entire time and after we finish you have to promise me you'll get into bed without any complaining and get ready for bed."

"Yes! Yes! I promise!" William nearly flew out of bed, grabbed his mother's hand and started hem down the hall. The children's wing where he was being kept was small and nearly went a circle. The walls were painted with fun looking animals and bright colors. Walking for a short time they passed the nurses' station where all the nurses waved at the little boy they all adored. With his curly brown hair, blue eyes and polite manners, not to mention the footsie pajamas, he quickly became their favorite, if not their most shy, patient. The pair rounded the corner and at the end of the hall housed his room. Two doors away from his room and suddenly William let go of his mother's hand and rushed into a room. Anne ran in after her son to find him staring intently at a little girl who appeared to be asleep. She ran to her son to pull him out of the room and spotted what she thought to be the young girl's mother and quickly starting apologizing, "Oh! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry. I was just walking with my son and he ran in here. I'm sorry, I don't know what happened. We don't mean to intrude."

"Oh, no, no, no. It's fine." The woman answered. "I understand. Sometimes my Elizabeth can get away from me too. I know your son didn't mean any harm."

"Thank you." Anne felt relieved. _There are worse rooms he could have ran into I suppose_, Anne thought. "I'll just get my son and we will leave you." Anne looked down to her son to find him starring at the young girl with an awed expression. "William, we need to leave this young girl to get to sleep. Come on, lets get back to your room."

"Is..is she a princess?" William finally looked up to the woman in the corner. "She looks like a princess."

"No, honey she's not a princess. She's my daughter, Elizabeth." She looked up to Anne, "Your son seems to be taken with my daughter," she laughed lightly. "My name is Joyce, my daughter's name is Elizabeth."

"I can see that. William is usually very shy around other children. I'm Anne by the way and my son here is William." Anne reached out to shake hands. "My son was getting a little restless. See, we've been here a week and William has been on complete bed rest. He was brought in with pneumonia. Hopefully he'll be released tomorrow so I took pity on him and we took a quick walk around the floor. I am sorry again for just barging in here."

Joyce smiled, "No, it's fine. You're very lucky you get to go home tomorrow. My Elizabeth has been in a coma for almost three weeks. She was at pre-school and decided she should see how far up a tree she could climb and fell and hit her head on a rock. She was rushed in the emergency room. She's healed but still hasn't woken up." Joyce wiped at the tears in her eyes. "There is not anything else to do but sit and wait. Really you and your son are a breath of fresh air after sitting in this room so long by myself."

Anne felt her heart break for this poor mother. How awful to have to sit and wait for your child to wake up and stare at her day after day without hearing their voice or seeing their eyes. "I am so terribly sorry. That sounds awful. I know this is sudden and we are leaving tomorrow but let me give you my number and if you ever need any company, please call me." Anne reached for a Kleenex on the table and Joyce grabbed a pen.

As this exchange was going on, neither parent noticed that at the beginning of their conversation William had proceeded to climb up into Elizabeth's bed. "Hi." William said quietly. He was sitting up by the young girl's head. "Elizabeth? That's your name? It's pretty. I like it. I know your mom said that you aren't a princess but you sure do look like one." William took a glance over at his mother to see she was still talking to the other mom. He laid down next to her. "You should wake up. Your mommy looks sad." William whispered. He continued to gaze and the beautiful girl. "I think you're the prettiest girl I ever seen. Well, after my mom of course. I think that when we get older we should get married."

The two women looked over at the bed and saw their children laying next to each other and could hear the low murmur of William's voice. It would be such a cute picture if not for the surroundings. Joyce looked to Anne and held up a finger to her lips in hopes that she could hear what this darling young boy was saying.

"Elizabeth, I guess I have to go back to my room now. I promise that when we get married you can pick out a puppy to live with us. All princesses should have a pretty puppy. Don't forget to wake up soon. I think it would make your mommy really happy." William smiled at the young girl.

Joyce's eyes teared up again. She looked over at Anne, "well, it looks like your son decided we will be in-laws." She chuckled. "Thank you for livening up my evening. You have a lovely son and I hope everything goes well for you tomorrow."

Anne smiled, "Thank you. I hope your daughter comes out of her coma soon. She is so beautiful and I wouldn't mind having her for a daughter-in-law" she joked. "Please call me if you ever want someone to sit with or grab a quick bite to eat. I don't live too far and I would be happy to come by." Anne turned to her son, "Come on now William. It's time for us to leave and let Elizabeth rest."

William nodded to his mother and looked back to the girl, "Goodbye. I know I'll see you again." William made a quick decision and decided to do what he had saw in a movie once to wake up a princess. He bent over and gave Elizabeth a light kiss on her lips and then hopped out of bed and started down the hall. Anne was stunned at the display and quickly left after her son. Neither noticed that right as they were leaving the room Elizabeth's eyes opened.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Ot should be noted that this story is un-betad therefore, all mistakes are my own. I am going to try to stay relatively close to cannon in terms of character personality but my Buffy may be slightly nicer than the show's. I feel if she didn't have to be the slayer then she might be a nicer person because I felt sometimes Buffy was a little too mean on the show. So, without further ado…**

Spike walked, or rather stomped, down the hallway of Sunnydale High School. With his unruly bleached hair gelled and his leather duster billowing behind him, he was the epitome of all bad boys. Everyone in school knew to steer clear of him and his temper. Sure, Spike had friends, few, but true friends and if you were not included in the list, then to Spike there was no reason to exchange words. As he turned the corner he was joined by his friend, Xander, "Good morning, buddy!" he greeted.

"Mmmm, yeah, morning," Spike grunted back. Surely by now Xander had realized that Spike thought no morning was good.

"Last year at good old Sunnyhell! Kind of bittersweet don't you think? I mean, sure, yeah, great to get out of school, but it feels like the end of an era! I mean, just think about it. After high school we won't know where anybody ends up. Some will go to college, some will loaf around with their parents, some will get jobs, but we won't know. That girl! There! In the green. Where will she be in five years? I will have seen her 9 months of every year for four years but after this, never again. Its kind of crazy when you think about it." Xander babbled.

"See? This is where we differ," Spike explained to Xander. "You think about things like this and I don't." Spike could not wait to get out Sunnydale. He hated the small town and most of its residents. He did not plan on coming back for the ten year reunion or giving a rats ass about the girl in green after he was finished with high school. "I couldn't care less about any of these people."

"That's sad, buddy. That's just sad." Xander could not understand how Spike honestly did not care about most other people. He always wished to be more popular but could never get there in the school hierarchy. He wanted people to wonder what happened to him when they left. While he was fairly certain he would wind up as a construction worker for his uncle, he wished someone would care enough to want to stay in-touch.

Spike glanced back over at the girl in the green and noticed that Buffy stood next to her. While she was not included on the very exclusive Spike friendship list, he could tolerate her marginally more than the rest of the student body. She was cheery, friendly, and sometimes overly nice, but the difference to Spike was, it was genuine. Unlike all these fake and snide girls that pretended to be nice to your face and the minute your back was turned call you names and spread gossip, Buffy was honestly a nice person. She often greeted Spike in the hallway with a pleasant 'hello' and a smile and Spike appreciated it. She didn't try to change him or use him. But above all, Spike knew she was the most beautiful girl in the world.

Buffy nodded absently at Willow's usual morning rambles as she placed her books and notebooks into her locker, "Yeah. I know." She silently hoped that it was the right answer to the question her friend had asked.

Willow's assumption was affirmed. Her friend was clearly not listening and was off in her own world again. "Really? You agree that now we are seniors every paper should be ten instead of five pages because how could one fit all the information necessary into just five pages? Buffy are you listening…? Earth to Buffy"

"Sorry. Sorry! I am just really tired. My Mom had another bad headache last night and I had to help out with Dawn. I don't think I am fully awake yet." She took another sip of her Red Bull and gave herself a little shake, "Ok, I'm up. Go!" She stared at Willow with large alert eyes.

"Aw, Buffy! Sorry. That must be hard. You guys still don't know what is wrong with your Mom?" Willow questioned. She felt bad for her friend. For the past couple of months her Mom had bad migraines and her doctors could still not figure out why.

Buffy sighed. Willow was the only person she had told about her Mom's illness. She did not want people feeling bad, or worse, sorry for her. She loved her family and was willing to make a few sacrifices. Buffy did not want anyone to think that she was helping out with her kid sister out of some weird sense of obligation. She loved her sister, even if she was a brat sometimes. "No. Every doctor just says they are headaches and that they should start tapering off soon. But clearly that isn't answer. It's been three months and she has them at least three times a week. I just don't know what to do. I wish I could ask my Dad for help but who knows where, or who he is with right now. But, enough about sad. It's the first day of my senior year and I am going to enjoy it!" She smiled brightly, "Also, no. No paper should ever be ten pages! Ugh!"

The pair walked down the hall laughing and greeting friends they had not seen all summer.

The first bell rang and Willow turned to her friend, "So, what is your first class? Please say AP Chemistry!"

"Um, that would be a no Wills." Buffy shook her head. While Buffy was no dumb blonde, she was certainly not AP Chem material either. "Let's see. It is English with Mr. Hardy. Well, I heard he's pretty nice. Weird assignments, but nice."

"Yeah, I have him fifth period. Well, we may not be in the same class but we can help each other with our homework!"

Buffy smiled. That was one of the great things about Willow. She always tried to find the silver lining. "Yeah, that will be great! See you later! Don't catch anything on fire"

Willow chuckled, "No guarantee Buffy, no guarantee."

Buffy walked into her classroom and took a seat. Pulled out her notebook and waited for class to begin. Right before the last bell rang Spike hurried into the class and sat in the row next to her ahead one desk. Right next to the window. Spike had always intrigued her. He was so un-social and there were always rumors swirling around him. He had few friends and never seemed to take part in any school activities. He looked hard and maybe even a little menacing but she had noticed something. Sometimes, if you caught him when his defenses were down, when he wasn't trying to look like a badass, he seemed softer. Like now, starring out the window his cheekbones that were razor sharp softened. His hard mouth was lax and fuller. Instead of a Hell's angel he looked more like, just an angel.

Mr. Hardy walked into the classroom and smiled, "Good morning class! I am Mr. Hardy as hopefully you all know. Welcome to your senior year!" He quickly took role and then smiled slowly as he walked around his desk. "As I was looking at my class roster this morning I noticed something unusual about this class in particular. I have been waiting for this to happen for all of my 25 years of teaching and it finally did. So we are going to be doing something special in this class! Since there are exactly equal amounts of young ladies as young men we are going to be pairing up into groups of the opposite sex for a special project!" The class begin to whisper to one another, some excited, some in dread, and some in speculation of what was to come. "So, I have decided that I will be using a special random formula my math associate gave me to pair you off. Each pair will have this first semester to write a paper on a book from a list I will give you momentarily. This paper will be a hard evaluation of the novel as it is written, how it influenced the writing of the time, if it is relevant today and how it is viewed by both men and women. This paper is not meant to be difficult but rather your views as twenty-first century young adults on a novel that is written as far back as the sixteenth century. I want to know if you think these novels are still relevant? Should we still be reading them? How does your opinion differ from your partners'? I think it will be fascinating to see how different men and women think! Then each of you will be running the class for one day next semester to give your presentations." The class was silent. Each absorbing the mountain of information they had just received. "Fabulous!" Mr. Hardy beamed, "If no one has any objections I will begin reading off the pairs."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Again, all mistakes are my own. Thank you all for the reviews! It means so much. Also standard disclaimer, I own nothing and all works belong to their rightful owners.**

As the final pairs were read, Mr. Hardy made the announcement that they had the rest of the period to look over the list of books with their partners and the sign up sheet would be at the front of the room. The class began to shift and pair off. Buffy decided she was going to have to make the move so she scooted her desk up to Spike, "Hey there, partner." She smiled at him hoping to start off the partnership well.

"Um, yeah right, hello"

"So, the list. Pretty exciting right? I mean, should we go with the standard _Romeo and Juliet_ or try something a bit different and modern like _Life of Pi_? I do love it when there is a movie version!" Buffy joked. She was hoping to get Spike more excited about the assignment.

"Whatever you choose will be fine. I don't rightly care. I figure no matter the book the paper will be the same." Secretly inside Spike was shaking. He was nervous! Spike never got nervous! Unable to deal with all of the overwhelming emotions of getting partnered with Buffy he resorted to acting like the badass he was.

"Well, that is seriously depressing." Buffy grumbled, "Look, I know these novels probably aren't your thing and neither is school apparently. But, school is my thing and I have to do well in this class, ok? So if you think you are going to sit there and not offer any opinion and make me do the whole thing you are sorely mistaken. So look at the list and tell me what you think." She roughly shoved the list to his desk.

Spike was taken aback by the heat in her eyes. They were sparking and angry. Spike was sure he had never seen Buffy angry and he was sure he didn't want to again. Well, strike that, maybe again because all the passion ablaze in her eyes was hot, just not directed at him again. "Fine! Don't get your knickers in a twist. I was just trying to be nice and let you pick. But, if I have to offer an opinion say no to _Romeo and Juliet_. What a bunch of twits. They were teenagers who knew each other for what, a total of two days, decided they couldn't keep it in their pants so they got married, and then killed themselves. Ruined their families lives they did. They deserved it as far as I am concerned."

"Right." Buffy was stunned. She was pretty sure that was the most she had ever heard Spike say, at all. And to top it off it was about _Romeo and Juliet_. She chuckled and crossed it off the list, "Good. One down. Any other opinions?"

Spike scratched the back of his head. He did have an opinion, he just did not want to sound like a nancy boy and tell her the truth. He looked up and saw the hopeful look in her eyes and decided he had to go for it. "Honestly, I would pick _Sleeping Beauty_. It is kind of like the Disney version so there is the movie quality you love."

"Really? _Sleeping Beauty_? Sure, ok. Let me go sign up for it." She strode to the front of the class hoping the option was still open. It was and she signed their names. As she walked back she wondered where that pick came from? Something told her to wait and not to ask now. Spike had finally got involved in the project and she did not want to upset him by asking him a sensitive question. "So, I say we head over to the library so we can pick up the books and then give each other, about what, a week to read it? Or at least start it, then we can meet somewhere and discuss what we've read?"

"Yeah. Sounds good. But, uh, I'll walk to the library with you but I don't need to borrow the book. I…have a…copy." He stood quickly and began to gather his things on his way out of the classroom.

Buffy quickly took the hint and shook off her confusion and headed out the door. "So, you have the book. That's cool! Where did you want to meet next week? My house or yours?"

"If it's ok with you, your house. I live with my Uncle and I'm not sure how he feels about people coming over. I mean, I'm sure he'd be ok with it being for school but I would like to ask him before I spring it on him and all that rot."

"Of course. That's very nice Spike. I didn't know you lived your Uncle. It's just me, my Mom, and my little sister. She'll be fine with you being over for a school project." They reached the library and got the book for Buffy. As they began walking out the bell signaling the end of class rang and they turned to one another. "Well, I guess this is it for today. I'll start this tonight and I'll see you in class." Buffy smiled and began walking to her next class.

Spike stood there starring as she walked away. He couldn't believe it. The powers that be must either hate him or love him. He could not decide which. On one hand he was excited to work with the girl he had secretly loved for years but at the same time he was uneasy. What if he made an ass of himself? What if he embarrassed himself? He was not sure how he would handle himself around her. For all he knew she hated him and was dreading every moment she had to be around him. He shook off his thoughts and began walking to his next class. He needed to stop over thinking this and let it be. Even Buffy did hate him he was going to have at least this memory of her and working with her all year in this class. And he would also get the escape he needed if he did make an ass of himself in his next class, auto-shop. Working with tools would help take his mind off things.

Buffy zoned as she walked to her next class. Was she really just paired with Spike? The boy who grunted most answers she ever heard him respond to. Who appeared to have only one friend. The boy who also owned _Sleeping Beauty_. What parallel world was she just thrown into? Were vampires and werewolves real? For all she figured they could be if Spike could own and apparently have read _Sleeping Beauty_. Somewhere inside Buffy was kind of excited to be paired with him. Not because he was a genius and this was some guaranteed A, but because maybe she could have an insight to the man no one knew anything about. She was now forced to be around him and he was forced to have conversations with her using sentences that were more than three words long. She was going to learn about the man behind the leather jacket. And to Buffy, that was exciting.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Again, I own nothing and everything is property of their rightful owners. Trust me, if it were up to me the show would have ended very differently. For the sake of my story Dawn is going to be younger than in the show because I don't want to have to deal with her having a crush or anything on Spike.**

All right this is it, no going back. Liftoff. T-minus 0 minutes. Gentlemen, start your engines. Kickoff. Spike stared at the door that would lead him into Buffy's house. He told himself to stop being such a prat and just ring the doorbell. If anyone caught him out here starring at the door there would be too many questions that he would have no answers for. He pressed the bell waited and then heard someone yelling, "I'll get it!" The door opened and young girl stood there. "Hello."

"Hi. Um, is Buffy here?"

"Yeah, hold on, BBBUUUUUFFFFYYY! The door is for you!" the pint sized girl screamed towards the stairs. She walked away leaving the door open and Spike starring at hole she left vacated.

"I know! I told you I was expecting someone." Buffy skipped down the steps. "Hey Spike! Sorry about my sister. I told her I was waiting for someone and I would get the door but I guess she forgot." She rolled her eyes and stepped aside and ushered him inside.

This is it, Spike thought, I am inside Buffy's house. I am actually inside and invited in, too. "No problem." He stood awkwardly in the hallway.

Buffy looked around the house, "So, my sister is in the family room watching TV so I guess we can do our work in the kitchen. It's this way." She lead him down the hallway past the room where her sister sat gazing at the television. The kitchen was bright and warm and Buffy lead him to the table. "I'm going to run up to my bedroom and get my book and notebook. You can sit here and get your stuff ready." She ran up the back steps that Spike assumed lead to the bedrooms and he took out his book. He fidgeted and decided it would be best to take off his jacket just in case her Mom came home. She might not be so welcoming to some hoodlum sitting at her dining room table but maybe wouldn't judge too much if at least his duster was off.

Buffy came back down the steps. Spike's back was to her and she was taken back for a moment. Spike had removed his jacket and his muscular back and arms were shown. She had always been curious as to what the jacket was hiding but muscles that were long and lean were not what she was imagining. She jerked herself out of her trance and walked around the table to sit across from him. "So, I pretty much finished the book and you were right. It is kind of like the Disney version. I liked it! Good choice!"

The corners of his mouth twitched as if he was starting to smile, "Don't thank me. I didn't write it. But yeah the novel is a bit of all right. Better than a lot of other stuff on that list."

"I think we should save the analysis of the book until later and deal with our thoughts of it first and, Holy Cow let me see your book!" She held out her hands. Spike's book was old and leather bound. One could tell that this was an antique book that had been passed down from generation to generation. The edges were trimmed with gold and the paper was heavy.

He gently handed over his book, "Yeah, it was my da's. He died when I was young and this got passed down to me. I know my grandda owned it too but I don't know how for back it goes. I've had if for as long as I can remember."

"Wow." She turned it over in her hands and delicately looked though the pages. They were beautiful. "This is amazing! You're lucky to have it!" She smiled at him and returned it. "So, getting back on track how do you feel about the book?"

Spike squirmed in his seat, "Honestly, I think it is a bunch of nonsense. I mean curses and fairies and having the whole castle be put to sleep for the sake of the princess. It sounds rather selfish to me. And waking up by true love's kiss and all that is just rubbish."

Buffy pouted, "Oh. Right. I mean, yeah, a woman should not be subjected to marry a man because he kisses her and rescues her and stuff…"

Spike could tell that Buffy was not happy with his answer. "Well, I mean. I do still think it is kind of un-realistic but I guess I can see why it is so romanticized. A prince coming to wake you up after it being prophesied. Kind of neat."

She beamed at him, "Very! I mean, I understand that everything does get revolved around the princess but it is so romantic! Her love comes to rescue her from a hundred year sleep and they are married. Well, it is not very feminist of me but I did get swept away in the fantasy of it all." Buffy swooned in her seat. "All of the fairies and people gather in the castle for her. She is being celebrated and then this evil fairy who is just jealous of her comes and ruins everything! Why would she cast such a mean curse? That she should die, really? Kind of extreme"

This time Spike did smile, "It was not like she was throwing a tantrum and took it out on the baby. She was mad at her parents. You know the saying, punishing the children for the sins of the parents. She was just brassed off because all the other little fairies and what have you were all invited but her. Her way of punishing the parents for their oversight was to hurt the one they loved the most. The reason everyone was there to begin with."

Buffy was dumbstruck. Spike was smart! "Yeah, that makes sense. I guess it was kind of mean of the king and queen to not invite the one fairy. Although, in their defense they did think she was dead."

"That they did, pet." Spike coughed and hurried on, "So, right. How did you feel as a twenty-first century woman reading this novel?"

She smirked. She heard the pentane and decided to give him a pass, for now, "Well, as I said before the feminist in me feels like this is very outdated. The idea of this beautiful princess being put into this sleep where she will not age because heaven forbid she look ugly when the prince comes to awaken her is wrong. The fact that the prince basically comes to her rescue to prove he can and to see the beautiful princess is sexist. He should want to save her because she is a person who was cursed." She nodded indignantly.

"Sweetheart, no bloke is going to chop his way through a forest of thorns and bramble to save some ugly bird. Of course she has to be good looking. Who would risk that?"

Buffy gasped! "You…you! That is so chauvinistic! To risk your life you would only do it if the girl was attractive? That is wrong on so many levels! You're a pig!"

Now Spike was laughing. "Oh Buffy you should see the look on your face! Well, I do agree with you that it is not right that only because she is a looker she is saved but it is a seventeenth-century novel. They are not looking out for women's rights just yet. To have this book be appealing and for people to want to read it they are going to want men to read about a beauty that is exceptional. They want women to believe that they are like this princess and they are just awaiting their knight in shinning armor to come and kiss them. If they write that this okay looking girl falls asleep and this just all right looking boy comes to kiss her, who would want to read that? It is a fantasy. This is what everyone would wish could happen to them. Honestly, would you want to sleep for a hundred years and wake up to someone who is unattractive kissing you?" He raised one eyebrow and looked at her frankly.

"Fine, fine. I get what you are saying. What kind of romance would it be if some ugly guy comes to kiss you. I still wish that her beauty did not have to be a reason that the prince wants to save her but I get your rationale."

They continued to go back and forth on how they felt as young people reading this novel for another hour before Spike decided he should go. He thought that if he left early, than that would mean that he would just have to come over that much more often. "I guess I should get going. I think we got a decent start on all this." He stood up and began putting his duster back on.

Buffy glanced at the clock and was surprised to see that a little over and hour had passed. She was having a good time and was impressed with all of Spike's knowledge and input, "Yeah, I guess. So same time next week and we can tackle something else?"

"Sure. I also talked to my Uncle and he said it would be ok to work over there sometimes, too. I don't always want to put you out," Spike was at the door and opened it to let himself out.

"Cool! How about we decide in class next week?"

He stood on the steps to her door looking in once again, "Sounds good. See you around." He turned and walked away. Away from the house he longed to go in and now had been. Buffy watched him walk onto the sidewalk then shut the door. She leaned against it and thought how odd the day and turned out and decided she had to call Willow like the good friend she was.

"I mean, you would think just looking at him that he would not have all of this insight to a book like this but he does! I was surprised Wills." Buffy told her friend while she painted her toenails. "He was all deep and knowledgey."

"Hmmm, maybe he is one of those misunderstood rebels. Like he wishes people would get to know him because he has so much to express." Willow reasoned.

"Well, I wouldn't go quite that far." Buffy chuckled,"I just think that so many people pass him by and that Spike kind of likes it that way; but he is really smart and funny. He made me laugh a lot."

"Made you laugh, huh? Do you have a crush on Spike, Buffy?" Willow questioned.

"A crush? Wills are you crazy? I do not have a crush on Spike, please. He was just smarter than I thought and he has a good sense of humor. Kind of like mine you know. A little sarcastic."

"Sure. Buffy and Spike sitting in a tree. k-i-s-s-i-n-g!" Willow sing-songed.

"Real mature Willow. Look, I have to go. I want to go over my assignment for Spanish before I go to bed. Goodnight."

"First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes…"

Buffy hung up on Willow and smiled to herself. Yeah, right. Like she would have a crush on Spike. I mean, even though he is nice and smart. She pulled down the sheets on her bed and laid down, her assignment forgotten. I mean, who would ever have imagined he had all that going on under that leather jacket he insists on wearing all of the time, she thought to herself. That joke about the prince having to deal with waking up a girl was hilarious. She laughed to herself as she thought about their day. Then it hit her, she sat straight up in her bed. Oh man, I have a crush on Spike.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Again, standard disclaimer, I own nothing. Thank you for all the reviews and follows. They are all appreciated! I know, my Buffy and Spike are much nicer than their television counterparts but I always wanted to read a story where they got along from the beginning. I am always tired of having to read them be mean and snarky before they like each other so, that's how my story is going to go.**

Xander looked over at Spike as they began putting their books into their lockers. He could tell something was different about him. Xander subtly glanced at Spike and noted that he was still wearing his standard uniform of all black and that duster he wore like a second skin. His hair was the same and his shoes were the same. He could not put his finger on what was different and it was driving him nuts. As he closed his locker and turned to Spike he saw it! It was only for a moment but it was as clear as day. Spike smiled. It was brief and somewhat awkward but it was a smile. There were few, if any, times Xander could remember Spike smiling. They were hardly spotted, almost like an endangered species. "So, how are you Spike?" he questioned.

"I'm fine. Why?" Spike glanced at his friend.

"No reason. It's just you seem different. Anything going on I should know about?"

"No. What are you going on about?" Spike didn't understand what Xander meant about different.

"I don't know, man. You just seem different that's all. If I knew I wouldn't have to ask you." Xander got his belongings together and started towards class. As they were walking in the hallway he noticed that Buffy had stopped and turned to Spike.

"Hey! Um, so after school today? My house again?" she smiled at Spike and toyed with the strap on her book bag.

"Yeah. Sounds good. See you there." Then it happened again! Spike smiled at her and then turned to walk to class.

Xander finally got it. He knew Spike was working on some project with Buffy but he did not put two and two together until now. Buffy was the reason behind Spike's smiles. "Ahhh. I see Spike. I got it."

Spike looked over at his friend, "Got what? You know you are making less sense than usual."

Xander leaned in closer to Spike and whispered, "I know why you are so happy. You got a thing for the Buffster. No worries, though. I won't say anything." He nudged Spike.

"What are you talking about? We are just working together for a project. That's all. I have no idea what you are talking about. I do not like the chit. You are clearly off your rocker" Spike adamantly protested.

"Spike, you just babbled. You are smiling and babbling. I am pretty sure all signs point to a crush. But like I said, I won't tell a soul." Xander crossed his fingers over his heart.

Spike stopped and leaned into Xander and stared into his eyes, "Now, you listen here. Whatever you think you know, you don't. You don't have anything to tell because you know nothing. Do you understand?" Spike looked menacing. Xander got the picture. He was not ready to deal with his feelings so he took the safe route for his own protection.

"I understand. I have no idea what I was talking about earlier." He smiled pathetically.

"That's right you don't." They continued on their way to their classes. But inside Spike was wondering if it was true. Were his feeling showing? It was one thing for him to know he liked Buffy but it was another thing entirely if someone else could pick up on it. Spike did not want this information getting out. What if Buffy found out? Surely she would be offended and find some way to cut off their project and have them see less of each other and he could not risk that. Not after he waited so long to finally get a chance to get to know her. He would just have to be more discreet about how he was acting. Everything would be fine.

* * *

Spike walked up to Buffy's house and took a deep breath. He reminded himself to keep his feelings in check and rang the doorbell. He was expecting Buffy or Dawn to open the door so he was surprised to see a woman open the door, "Hello."

"Oh, uh, hello." He replied.

She smiled politely, "You must be Spike. I am Buffy's mother."

"Right, right, hello Mrs. Summers. I am just here to work with Buffy on a school project." He was unsure of what to do. He had never met someone's mother before. He stuck out his hand and she responded with a handshake.

"Yes, I know. Buffy told me she was expecting someone." Her voice was soft and quiet and she squinted as she looked outside. Then he heard Buffy running down the steps with her book bag.

"Hey, Spike. Can I talk to you outside for a sec?" She slightly pushed him outside and shut the door, "Listen, I know we planned to work here today but my mom came home early from work because she isn't feeling well. Is it ok if we go to your house?"

Spike saw the look in her eyes. They were almost worried. He was unsure if it was about him allowing her over or if it had more to do with her mother. "Yeah, sure. Of course."

She sighed in relief and they started down the walkway. "Thank you. Dawn is over at her friend's and I just want to give my mom a chance to lie down."

He looked down at her, "If you want to do this another day, it's ok. You can stay with your mom if you need to."

Inside Buffy swooned a little. He was being such a gentleman and concerned for her mom, "No, it's fine. Today is still good."

"If I would have known we were going to my house I would have driven. I mean, I only live a couple blocks away but I just walked. Sorry."

"No, walking is good. I would offer to drive but trust me you do not want me driving. Cars and me are un-mixy. Plus it's nice to be outside. The fresh air will be nice." She smiled up at Spike. He was sure for one moment his heart stopped. He imprinted this moment in his brain, Buffy smiling up at him with the sun behind her and her hair shinning like spun gold. She was radiant.

They continued walking and making smile idle chit-chat as they approached Spike's Uncle's apartment. "Um, so this is it. It isn't very big but it works for just me and my Uncle."

She laughed, "I'm sure it's fine Spike." She knew that he was nervous she would judge him. But she knew they were two single men living together and was prepared. He opened the door and allowed her to proceed him inside. To say it was not what she was expecting was an understatement. It was done in neutral colors and felt homey. There were large bookcases that were filled from top to bottom. There were oriental rugs on the hardwood floor. Instead of it being messy it was clean and warm. There was even a tea kettle on the stove. Did Spike drink tea? The thought made her chuckle, "This is nice. It's cozy."

"Right." He shuffled over the counter and bar stools and cleared the area of newspapers that were scattered. "We can work here. Is that ok?"

"Perfect." They gazed at each other for a moment and then both abruptly looked away. Spike pulled out the seats and looked over at her, "Would you like something to drink?"

Buffy had to bite the inside of her cheek, "How about something warm? I'm a little chilly from the walk. Maybe some tea?"

Spike walked over to the kettle. "Sounds good, pet. Just give me a moment." He began the process of making a proper cup of tea as Buffy watched in fascination. He was running the kettle under hot water, then after what he deemed an appropriate amount of time then filled it with water. He placed it on the burner then turned to the cupboard and got out the teabags. "Is Earl Grey ok?"

Buffy had no idea. She just always drank the tea they had at her house with water that she microwaved, "That sounds fine."

Spike nodded and continued in his process. The kettle whistled and he placed the tea bags into the boiling water. He got down a tea-pot and then poured the hot tea into the pot and brought it over to Buffy with her tea-cup. She looked up at Spike in amazement, "What was that?"

He cocked his head, "What was what?"

Buffy waved her hands in the direction of the kitchen, "All of that? That was a serious way of making tea."

He scoffed, "You Americans know nothing about a proper cup of tea. Most of you don't even own a kettle. You just drink that and enjoy. You are drinking a legit cup of British tea."

Buffy took her orders and took a sip of her tea. It was delicious and rich, "I get it. This is delicious. Thank you."

Spike turned to the papers before them, "Now that you have had your lesson on tea, lets get to work, shall we?"

* * *

Again the time seemed to pass more quickly than either of them had wished. It seemed like almost moments ago Buffy had just got her first cup of tea and now the pot was finished and it had been almost two hours. Spike and Buffy had laughed with one another, joked, and got some serious work done. She looked over at Spike as he was writing in his notebook and thought that she had misjudged him. While she had always wondered what he would be like she had always assumed he would be how he was at school all the time. More reserved and kind of brash. In reality he was sweet, kind, smart, and funny. Buffy instantly regretted having judged him without ever knowing him. How much time had she wasted passing him over in the hallways? If she had given him a chance they could have been friends for years. She decided that she would make the rest of this year count. "I think we've accomplished a lot today."

Spike looked up and closed his book, "I agree." He looked at the clock, "So, do you want me to give you a ride back to your house or..."

Buffy thought that her mom probably needed a little bit more time to rest but did not want to stay if she wasn't welcome, "Sure, yeah. That would be great." She began to gather her things. But Spike could tell by the look in her eyes that she was not ready to leave. Then he remembered her mom.

"Well, I know you said your mom was having a lie down. If you want you can stay here longer. I know my uncle won't mind. He won't be home until late anyway." He suggested.

Buffy felt instant relief, "That would be great! I don't want my mom to feel like she needs to do something for me. If I could just stay here another hour that would be perfect."

"Of course you're welcome here as long as you would like." They sat at their seats. Now Spike had to figure out how to entertain her. "Well, I could teach you how to make some tea. Or there is a telly over in the corner. We could watch a movie or something?"

Buffy pondered the choices. While being in the kitchen with Spike hands-on had its appeal, she really just wanted to relax. And also, she did not know how much more tea she could take. "How about we watch something?"

They both got up and headed over to the couch. Spike lead her to a cabinet where the movies were, "You can pick something."

She searched over the titles. As she suspected of two men there were action movies and thrillers but there were some odd titles as well. There were some documentaries and some movies that she had just plain never heard before. As she went over the titles again she thought that she wanted to not have to think for the next hour and just wanted to watch something easy. She picked _Love Actually._ A nice easy-going movie and everything ended happily. Perfect.

Spike chuckled at her choice. "Great, a chick-flick."

"If it's just a chick-flick, why do you have it?" she questioned hotly as she sat down.

"Honestly, it is my uncle's. He loves all things British." He put in the DVD and sat down at the opposite end of the couch.

As the movie played Spike could tell that Buffy was not paying attention. Her eyes kept wandering and she could not seem to sit still. He paused the movie and turned to her, "Buffy, you clearly don't really want to watch a movie. Is everything ok?"

Buffy snapped her attention to Spike. She had been thinking about her mom and if everything was ok at her house. She saw the concern in his eyes and she knew he cared. She decided to tell him. He would be the only other person who would know besides Willow but she couldn't keep it in anymore. She felt like the more she kept it to herself the worse it became. She thought she might feel better to share it with someone else, "No, you're right. I'm sorry. I am just nervous about my mom. See, she has had these terrible headaches for months now and no one can figure out what is wrong. She keeps having to come home from work and lay down and I don't know what to do anymore. I watch Dawn and try to help out as much as I can but I am afraid there is something really wrong and the doctors aren't looking hard enough to figure it out!" She was on the verge of crying.

Spike was taken back. His mom had died when he was still young and was transported back to that time. He looked at Buffy and saw that she just needed someone to care. Spike understood that sometimes you needed to be the strong one but there were times when you just needed someone to tell you everything would be fine and be strong for you. He held her hand, "I am so sorry Buffy. I had no idea. It must be tough having these things rest on your shoulders when you're still in school. But I know everything is going to be ok. Your mom seems like a tough bird. Is there anything I can do?"

Buffy smiled sadly. Somehow, even though she had not known Spike that long, she knew he would offer to help. "No, but thanks. I think we just have to wait it out and hope someone will find out what is causing them so they can do something about it. We have an appointment next week with a specialist so hopefully we will find something soon. I don't mean to put this on to you I just wanted you to know in case I have to cancel a meeting last minute or something."

"No worries. I understand. My mum died when I was eight. I'll be here for whatever you need." His eyes bore into her with intensity. He would really be there day or night if she called. He would always be ready.

"Oh, Spike, I'm sorry." She moved to him and gave him a hug. "That must have been awful." Buffy admitted to herself that late at night she would drift to the worse case scenarios. The thought of her mother dying was heartbreaking to her and she could sympathize with him.

Spike realized that it had been years since he had been hugged. He wasn't a hugger by nature and his uncle was British so needless to say, he did not hug either. Spike missed it, he decided, he missed being hugged. Or, at least, somehow missed being hugged by Buffy. It was magnificent. He embraced her back. "Yeah, it was right tough for a while but my uncle was there."

They sat there for close for a while just being near one another. "Well, how about we finish the movie and then you can take me home?"

Spike smiled, "Sounds like a plan pet." He pressed play and Buffy slowly put her head on Spike's shoulder and they finished the movie. Spike took Buffy home and decided that this was one of the best nights of his life. He thought he liked Buffy before but now he knew it was love.

**A/N: Now, I am not British, much to my chagrin, so I had to look up how to make tea. This is what I gathered. If it is incorrect, my deepest apologies.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Here we are again. Standard disclaimer still applies. I know that things are moving kind of slow but hopefully everyone is still with me. Thank you again for all of the reviews. They make me very happy.**

**A/N 2: So sorry for the delay! I got sick and then busy and then I kind of got out of the writing thing. Coming back and reading this chapter after so long was strange. I'm still not 100% satisfied but I realize I never will be and all of you amazing readers deserve the next chapter. Sorry if it seems off but just bear with me and hopefully I can get back into this and finish it for you.**

* * *

Willow sat on Buffy's un-made bed and watched her friend change for the fifth time. Or was it the sixth time? Secretly she chuckled to herself at Buffy's antics over a boy. While Buffy had certainly been on dates before, Willow could not remember her friend ever being this nervous over any of them and this was not even a real date. Spike was just coming over again to "work" on their project. From what Willow understood they had basically finished their project but had not yet found out a way to see each other without keeping up the pretense that they were still just getting together for school. "Buffy, I don't think Spike is going to care what you are wearing. You could be in a potato sack and you still would look nice. Plus, he is just coming over to work on that paper, right?"

Buffy scanned her wardrobe choices again. "Well, yeah, that's what he thinks he is coming over for but I still want to look good, all right?" Maybe she should put that red top back on. It made her look older. "Think about it," she yelled at her friend through the closet door, "if I look like maybe we are on a date it will give out that illusion, right. So in his mind he might see me as if we were dating and then the next thing you know he'll want to date me. I've got it all figured out."

Willow laughed. Yup, her friend had it all figured out all right. Pretty soon Spike would be engaged to Buffy and he wouldn't even know he had ever asked her out at this rate. "I don't think you can trick someone into asking you out Buffy."

She exited her closet wearing the final outfit she decided upon, "Well, I know that. Duh! But, it does not hurt to subliminally plant some things into his head. I just want him to think I look...attractive. All I know is that wearing something that makes you look hot never hurts." She did a small twirl, "What do you think?"

Willow looked her over and nodded her approval, "Spike will never know what hit him."

* * *

Once again the duo sat at Buffy's kitchen table with their book open but laughing over a scene that had taken place in the cafeteria. "Did you see Angel's face when she dumped that milk all over his head? It was hilarious! I don't think he really thought she would do it." Buffy was clutching her stomach she was laughing so hard.

Spike was laughing right along with her, "I've got to give it to Cordelia, that chit has some balls. When she told him that she hopped his tiny pecker would satisfy that slut he was cheating on her with I thought his head was going to explode." He took some deep breathes to calm himself down, "But, good on her. I never liked Angel. You know he wear lifts?"

"Men! I mean, I agree with you, Cordelia can do better than Angel, but really? Lifts?" she chuckled and shook her head. As they were coming down from their high she looked up at Spike and was once again struck with how gorgeous he was. As she looked into his eyes she barely had time to notice that his hand was moving upwards as if to touch her cheek before the back door slammed and her mom and sister came blazing in. He quickly dropped his hand and turned to greet them. Buffy had to close her eyes tight and count to ten so she wouldn't scream at her family for ruining her moment. For one second she thought that this was it! He was finally going to make a move and it was ruined! She wanted to feel his hand on her. She could imagine him grazing her cheek and moving in for a kiss. Buffy wanted to feel the heat from him. After she cooled off she glanced at her mom and noticed the signs. She wasn't feeling well again.

"So, right when she thought that she was going to score I totally stole the ball and dribbled it all way across to score!" Dawn was re-telling of her winning goal in the soccer game to Spike. Since Spike was so often at Buffy's house he had gotten closer to Dawn.

"Way to go, bit!" Spike high-fived her and looked over at Buffy. He noticed that she was silently communicating with her mother as only a daughter can do. That is when he noticed the tired expression in Joyce's eyes. Since Buffy had told him of her problem he had become more aware of how Joyce looked. He could gauge if she was having a good day or a bad one and saw today was bad. He also looked over at Dawn and saw that she was still on her winning high. That is when inspiration struck. "Hey, since Buffy and I weren't able to see the game why don't we take you out for ice cream to celebrate? Just the three of us. You can tell us all about the game over a sundae?"

Buffy was confused, "That's ok, Spike. You don't have to do that." Why was he offering to take them out? She just wanted to spend some time with him, the two of them.

Spike leaned over and whispered in her ear. It took Buffy a moment to really hear what Spike was saying. All she could focus on was how close he was to her. She could feel his warm breath caressing her face and smell his scent as it took her under. Buffy breathed in deep to capture it. It was strong and spicy and smelled exactly how Spike should smell. She thought to herself that if she turned her head just so, their lips would meet. But she mentally shook herself and focused back in on what Spike was telling her, "…Thought if we took Dawn out it might give your mom a chance to rest." He pulled back and gazed in her eyes.

Then Buffy got it. He was being so thoughtful. He was willing to take her and her younger sister for ice cream because he could tell her mom was not feeling well. He was like a prince. She smiled her most gracious smile and could not resist but to reach out and give his hand a squeeze, "That sounds amazing."

* * *

As they were walking up to the ice cream shop Spike replayed that moment in his head over and over. Buffy reaching out and touching him. Well, it may just have been his hand but the fact that she touched him at all was not lost on him. He could still feel the way she gently squeezed and he could still feel the heat and the shocks that ran up his arm at the contact. He remembered that earlier that day he had almost kissed her but was interrupted, at least he still got a touch. Thinking he should probably be grateful the earlier moment was stopped because he did not know how Buffy felt, he opened the door for the girls. The three went up to order their desserts and as Spike was paying Dawn slid into the booth and Buffy slid all the way in on the opposite side. Spike walked over with his scoop of rocky road and was presented with the difficult task of which side to sit on when he noticed Buffy look into his eyes then at the seat next to her offering it to him. He nodded and slid in. The booths were small and their legs brushed up against one another. Spike could feel the length of her thigh brush against his and he almost groaned out load. The searing heat from her body was so intense Spike thought all the ice cream in the place would melt. To distract himself he asked Dawn to retell the game to them.

"It was so awesome guys! Everyone thought for sure we would loose but we didn't!"

As Dawn went on with her story Buffy could only focus on how close she was to Spike. While they had sat next to each other plenty of times during their time together it had never been this close. She could feel the whole length of his leg pressed close to her. She could smell his delicious scent again and she could imagine how it would feel if he put his arm around her. The color in her cheeks begin to rise and a small smile crept onto her face and she ducked her head and smiled into her ice cream.

"So, then I kick the winning goal and everyone goes crazy!" Dawn finished her story with a wave of her arms as a flourish, "It was so cool!"

Spike gave her a 1000 watt smile, "I bet it was. I will definitely have to come watch you play sometime. Watch a real football match." Dawn was beaming at him and Buffy knew that her little sister wished he was her brother. Everyone had finished their ice cream and she glanced at her watch and noticed that is getting late and they have been gone long enough to giver her mom and chance to lie down for a while, "All right. We should get going." She turned to look at Spike, "Thank you again."

Spike nodded and noticed that she had a little bit of whipped cream on the corner of her mouth. Without even thinking but just going on a reaction he can't quite place and with feelings he isn't quite ready to admit out loud, he reached up with the his hand and brushed it away with the pad of his thumb. "You had a little something right there." Spike's hand rose to his mouth and sucked off the offending cream off his thumb with heavy lidded eyes.

Buffy sat frozen. Spike just used the sexiest, deepest, most sultry voice she has ever heard and touched her mouth and then proceeded to lick his fingers. Her breath became shallow and heavy all at the same time. She could feel her chest rising and falling and tingles branching off all over her body. She was certain that the blush that had stained her cheeks earlier has now spread all over her body. With a voice so small she is not sure if Spike could hear it, she thanked him and took a long blink in hopes of recovering. Spike slid out of the booth and the three proceed on the walk to Buffy's

* * *

They all finally arrived and Dawn thanked him again for taking her out and ran inside. Buffy turned to thank Spike again when she got caught off guard. He was starring at her with an undefinable expression. She could not tell if he was nervous or scared, "Are you ok there? Too much ice cream?" She giggled hoping to lighten the look in his eyes.

Spike took a deep breath and thinks to himself that it is now or never. He can't keep coming over here being so close to Buffy and not be able to do anything. He has dreamed of her every night and he has to do something about it. "I'm…I'm fine. Listen, I don't know how to do this or anything but I was wondering if you wanted to go out on a date with me? I mean, if you don't that's fine. It's not a big deal. It was a stupid queestion.." Spike shook his head and turned to walk away as though he already knew the answer.

Buffy was surprised! Spike liked her! She did a little happy dance in her head and smiled at Spike's retreating back, "Wait! Come back here. Of course. I would love to go out with you."

"Really?" Spike was relieved. "Right. Well, I'll call you with the plan." He was still standing there after a moment and nodded. "Well, have a good night." He started down the steps to get home where he could pinch himself to make sure it was true when something stopped him.

"Wait!" Buffy ran down the steps and hugged Spike. She threw her arms around his middle and held tight. He was as warm as she had imagined he would be. He was frozen for a moment but then tentatively put his arms around her. He was soft and strong. Everything that Buffy had allowed herself to imagine late a night. His smell washed over her once again and she gave a final squeeze and released him. "Thank you. I know that you took me and Dawn out for my mom I can't tell you what that meant to me. So, thank you, for everything." She beamed at him and then ran back up the steps and into her house. Spike stood there. Starring. At Buffy's door. Starring. After she hugged him. Starring. Then he smiled and went home lighter than he arrived.


End file.
